'Last year was abnormal': How Patrick Mahomes raised his game another level for 2025

PATRICK MAHOMES' FIRST deep pass of training camp was noteworthy. Almost a month ago, the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback, did his usual three-step dropback from the shotgun. The moment was the opening play of the team's first 7-on-7 period.

Mahomes didn't even look toward tight end Travis Kelce, who ran a short route in the middle of the field. Mahomes sought for more. He unleashed a deep strike, a pass that traveled more than 40 yards. The fans in attendance produced their first loud roar, the result of Mahomes' pass being perfectly placed over cornerback Jaylen Watson into the hands of Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs' fastest receiver.

While Worthy celebrated the highlight for a few seconds, Mahomes didn't. Instead, Mahomes kept the practice's tempo upbeat, his desire to make more exceptional passes. His reason for it was simple.

"I wanted to up my mentality," Mahomes said. "Sometimes you get to camp, and you just want to go out there and dominate the day. I want to dominate every single rep. No days off. You have to get better and better every day."

In his ninth year, Mahomes has already accomplished his first goal of the Chiefs' 2025 campaign. While the Chiefs had several interesting storylines during camp -- such as rookie Josh Simmons winning the starting left tackle role, wideout Rashee Rice retaining his No. 1 receiver role and the progress of several rookies on defense -- Mahomes' passing results in the 17 practices at Missouri Western State were excellent and exquisite, even by his usual lofty standards.

The Chiefs hope this year's camp will be the foundation -- and perhaps the launching point -- for Mahomes' performance this season to reach yet another elevated level, one that will lift the offense to become more dynamic and feared by opposing defenses again.

One of Mahomes' most impressive improvements in camp was his pinpoint accuracy, his placement of the ball even surprising some of his teammates.

"It's incredible," tight end Robert Tonyan said. "The windows he's fitting them in, with the anticipation, is just awesome. You see Pat getting better every day. He's making those hard throws look easy."

Coach Andy Reid, entering his 27th season, is known for conducting one of the NFL's most grueling camps -- and that's for his quarterbacks, too. Mahomes spent most practices attempting deep pass after deep pass. Some days, the Chiefs' defenders didn't come close to intercepting Mahomes, let alone getting a hand on the ball.

"It's always 10 times harder going against your actual defense in practice," Worthy said of Mahomes while smiling. "You see these guys every day. With Pat, we [as receivers] call it a long handoff. It's the normal thing with Pat, man."

Unlike previous years, Mahomes didn't spend many camp reps extending the play by scrambling before throwing the ball. Staying in the pocket more often, Mahomes polished his modified footwork, which he emphasized in the offseason, whether in workout sessions with Bobby Stroupe, his longtime trainer, or when watching film of himself last season with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

"There's an obsession that he has with being perfect at what he does," Nagy said of Mahomes. "He wants to be great. The accuracy part is critical, being friendly to the receivers. Really, from the hips down is one focus that we have."

HAVING A STABLE, more consistent base appears to have helped Mahomes improve his precision on deep passes.

Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs know they'll need a surplus of such highlights to help the team reach a fourth consecutive Super Bowl. Last season, Mahomes struggled at such attempts. He completed a career-low 39.5% of his passes in which the ball traversed at least 15 yards downfield, ranking 29th. He also had more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (four) on deep throws.

"Last year was abnormal," Mahomes said. "We definitely want to push the ball down the field and push the ball into tighter windows this year."

Last week, Mahomes kept testing the Chiefs' defense. In one 7-on-7 period, He placed the ball between two defenders in the middle field, the pass perfect for Worthy. In another, Mahomes threw the ball where only running back Isiah Pacheco could make an over-the-shoulder catch near the sideline after running a wheel route. Mahomes, even after a pump fake, was still able on one rep to get the ball to Kelce through a quick sidearm flick of his wrist.

"It seems like he's always a step ahead," Kelce said of Mahomes. "His arm is alive right now. It's fun to see him know the play and know where he's going before the snap happens. He's our biggest, fearless competitor.

"He's really leading this team right now into working hard and getting right."

Almost every aspect as to why last season was abnormal for Mahomes was often beyond his control.

Receiver Hollywood Brown sustained a dislocated collarbone on the first snap of the preseason. In Week 4, Rice had a season-ending right knee injury, the byproduct of Mahomes launching himself shoulder-first at the defender who intercepted his pass. Mahomes didn't tackle cornerback Kristian Fulton, then of the Los Angeles Chargers. He instead hit Rice's knee, bending the receiver's leg backward. At one point in the season, Mahomes entered the huddle with several skill position players -- running back Kareem Hunt and receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins -- who weren't on the roster in camp.

Toe Tap Tyquan 🙌 pic.twitter.com/2Y23kDcvp9

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 29, 2025

Mahomes still finished the season completing at least one pass to 18 teammates, the most in his career (most quarterbacks last season completed a pass to 10-12 teammates). Mahomes engineered seven game-winning drives, too, and accounted for 72.5% of the offense's yards, the most of any quarterback in the NFL (Josh Allen accounted for 68.8% and Lamar Jackson's was 68.4%).

"I thought he did a great job with all of that," Reid said of Mahomes. "I thought it was one of his better years as far as managing everything -- and he was still productive. That's not an easy thing to do. That will help him. The longer you're in it, the more things are going to change."

The Chiefs' instability with their left tackle position wasn't ideal, either. The team used four players -- Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris, D.J. Humphries and All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney -- at the position. The Chiefs being forced to alter their passing attack -- and without proper protection for more deep-passing attempts -- led to Mahomes targeting his receivers behind the line of scrimmage for a career-high 26.9% of his attempts.

In late December, Mahomes played through a sprained right ankle, the aftermath of enduring more than 100 hits.

"You don't want it to affect you," he said. "That's the biggest thing. Obviously, last year we didn't play our best offensive football, but to be a great quarterback in this league you've got to stand in there, take the hits and make the throws. You see the greats do that.

"I'm going to [put] trust in those guys, stand in there, make those throws and let guys make plays."

This season, the Chiefs are optimistic that Simmons, the first-round pick out of Ohio State, can be the player who finally solves their longstanding problem at left tackle. Suamataia, the second-year player, is the projected starting left guard. If the Chiefs have a significant injury along the offensive line, they appear to have a better insurance plan with four-year veteran Jaylon Moore, their biggest free agency acquisition.

A pivotal moment in camp occurred last week, the lone practice in which the Chiefs were forced to work indoors because of heavy rain and lightning. Without fans in attendance, but reporters closely watching, Reid still had his players, in full pads, go through rigorous team reps. One featured the offensive line giving Mahomes enough time to experience a luxury he used to have. He scrambled out of the pocket, rolling to his right to give players an extra second to get open. Then Mahomes, in a flawless manner, executed one of his signature moves: He flicked a behind-the-back-pass to Hunt, who didn't have to decelerate to catch the ball in stride.

"Not everybody has Patrick at quarterback," Nagy said, smiling.

WHEN MAHOMES GOES through his dropbacks in practice, Reid is almost always about 10 yards behind him, watching his quarterback survey the play's receiving options from his perspective. Between reps, Mahomes has heard a consistent message from Reid: Push the ball downfield.

Eight years ago, Mahomes was a first-time starter and Reid wanted him to test the limits of his rare arm strength. The process was instructive for Mahomes. One practice in 2018, Mahomes threw three interceptions.

This time around, Reid wants Mahomes to throw the deep shot to further instill confidence in his collection of fast receivers.

"It's a little bit like being a farmer," Reid said, grinning. "I've never been a farmer, but you always hear that there's always work to be done. Being a quarterback is a lot like that. The game is always changing, your offense is changing, and then that personnel changes."

In February, during the Chiefs' blowout 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Mahomes declined to attempt a deep pass in the first quarter, one in which Worthy was in a one-on-one matchup against Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Mahomes chose to be cautious. He instead completed a short pass to Smith-Schuster, a decision he made because he noticed that the Eagles' secondary was in a certain coverage that anticipated the potential for a deep pass. As the game progressed, the Eagles sacked Mahomes six times -- his career high -- despite not blitzing once. When Mahomes did complete two deep touchdown passes to Worthy -- both in the second half -- the Chiefs were behind by more than 20 points.

"Sometimes you try to do too much when you have too much information," Mahomes said of anticipating certain coverages. "I felt at times these last few years I've done that, just being smart and being able to see stuff. But it's football. If you think it's one-on-one and your guy can beat that guy, let him have a chance to make a play."

Mahomes did just that last week during a team period. Although Mahomes noticed safety Bryan Cook was deep in coverage in the middle of the field, he still threw the ball 30 yards downfield for Worthy. The play ended with Worthy outjumping Cook and Watson for the touchdown.

Reid believes Mahomes' experience last season of adjusting his playing style and learning how to work with so many pass catchers has helped him expedite the process of teaching the Chiefs' offense -- and building on-field chemistry -- with several newcomers in camp this year.

In late November, the Chiefs signed receiver Tyquan Thornton, the New England Patriots' 2022 second-round pick, to their practice squad. A few weeks later, the Chiefs added Tonyan, a seven-year veteran who began his career with the Green Bay Packers alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Thornton and Tonyan, having worked with Mahomes throughout the offseason, have been two of the standout performers in camp, each making memorable contested receptions.

"If I go out there and run fast, he is going to put it where it's supposed to be," Thornton said of Mahomes. "Sometimes, you know, he'll make you open even if you're not open. You have to have your hands available and ready to make the play."

The play that best illustrated such was in a 7-on-7 period last week. Thornton's assignment was to run a deep corner route against man coverage. Although nickel cornerback Chamarri Conner provided tight coverage, Mahomes still threw a meticulous 30-yard pass, and the ball placed just past the defender's outstretched arms and into Thornton's hands for a diving catch.

The repetition reminded Mahomes that he is capable of creating many of those how-did-he-do-it completions this upcoming season, far more than just the few he accomplished in 2024. Mahomes is also aware that his circumstances are optimal again -- he is fully healthy, he has greater trust in the Chiefs' revamped offensive line, and he has a stronger connection with his receivers.

The next player who is learning what to expect from Mahomes is rookie receiver Jalen Royals, the Chiefs' fourth-round pick. Royals already understands the first rule for his first camp: Do what Mahomes says.

"In the meeting room, he tells me everything I need to do," Royals said, smiling. "He'll tell me corrections. After the play, he'll let me know on the sideline."

One example, Royals shared, was when his assignment was a simple out route. He learned from Mahomes that the way he ran the route wasn't exactly how his quarterback wanted him to create more separation against the cornerback and get open. A couple days later, on a similar route, Royals responded in the correct manner.

In Tuesday's practice, Mahomes threw a superb deep pass to Royals. The ball was thrown to the exact spot for Royals to make an over-the-shoulder catch near the sideline against tight coverage from cornerback Nazeeh Johnson. But Royals dropped the ball. While fans groaned in disappointment, Mahomes shouted three words to Royals:

"Finish that s---!"